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A retired teacher has discovered a new type of transparent sea anemone.

Robert Durrant found the 6mm creature and posted a photograph on Facebook asking for help to identify it – but with no success.

So he took a specimen from Hele Bay, near Ilfracombe, Devon, to his aquarium to observe it. 

Robert Durrant found the 6mm creature and posted a photograph on Facebook asking for help to identify it – but with no success

Then he had a breakthrough after taking a backlit photo showing it was transparent with tiny tubercules.

This helped French expert Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat to identify the tiny creature.

He said it is a new variety of Aiptasiogeton pellucidus, an anemone found in Dorset in the 1970s before disappearing.

Mr Durrant said: 'It was found by accident at Hele Bay, really. I took a photo and posted it on Facebook and experts hadn't a clue.

The retired teacher took a specimen from Hele Bay, near Ilfracombe (pictured), Devon, to his aquarium to observe it

'So I decided to take a specimen for my aquarium at home to feed the anemone to see how it would develop - and get some more photos to try to identify it.

'I took a backlit photo which showed very clearly the transparency of the anemone as well as the tiny tubercules on it.

'I'd like to call it the fairy anemone, as it's so small, delicate and elusive.' 

However, the creature now has the scientific name Aiptasiogeton pellucidus var comatus.

More anemones of the Hele Bay variety have been found at Newlyn, Cornwall. 

Dan Smith, from Devon Wildlife Trust, said: 'It's amazing that new animal discoveries can still be made right on our shores.'